Description

SK 02 SW
13/83

BLITHFIELD C.P.
BLITHFIELD PARK
Blithfield Hall

10/1/53

GV
I
Country house. Late medieval in origin, now largely C16 with additions of c1740 probably by Richard Trubshaw, and of the later C18 perhaps by Charles Cope Trubshaw, remodelled 1820-24 probably by John Buckler in a Tudor Gothic style. Brick, plastered and lined as ashlar to earlier timber frame; slate roofs; plastered brick stacks. Four ranges surrounding a rectangular courtyard, extensions to north east and east, main entrance in centre of south range.

North range and north east block: north range consists of two parallel ranges, the southern part medieval in origin containing Great Hall to west, screens passage and services to east with former solar, now dining room above, original kitchen, latterly a servant's hall, now a workshop, lay beyond the services; northern part of c.1740, north east block projects north from east end of north range, two storeys and attic with first floor band and plain parapet; 4:11:3 bays, glazing bar sashes and casements with segmental heads, including attic dormers; projecting gable end of north east block to left with chamfered quoins, two parallel ranges with linking parapet, the left hand range has windows with straight heads; projecting gabled end of west range to right with diagonal buttresses, central false four-centred doorway arch with hood mould and tall three-light Gothic window above, the upper part lighting the attic, the rest blind; double porch towards left hand end of central range with four-centred arches leading to doorway.

West range: in two parts, C16 range to left, addition of 1769 to right. C16 range: two left hand bays of two storeys and attic, the rest of two storeys; six bays spanned by five irregular gables with bracketed barge boards; glazing bar sashes with returned hood moulds, two storey canted bay to right with moulded parapet and central glazed door, single storey canted bays to left of centre with Tudor arch openings. 1769 addition: two storeys with first floor band and low pitch roof, two bays, glazing bar sashes, octagonal crenellated turret to right hand angle.

South range: C16 with addition of 1769 to west end, cloister with gallery over, added to north side in 1820-4. Two storeys with crenellated parapet; 1:3:1:2 bays, projecting gable end of west range to left with octagonal angle turrets, three storey gatehouse to right of centre with diagonal buttresses surmounted by finials, and four-centred gate arch with returned hood mould, the other bays are separated by projecting chimney stacks with star shaped shafts; mullioned windows of four-Tudor arch lights under a square head with returned hood mould, left hand bay has ground floor window with three cinquefoil headed lights under a square head, panelled spandrels and a returned hood mould, first floor oriel window of four lights on fan brackets with angels holding shields. Two storey set-back kitchen wing to right; six-light mullioned windows to first floor with returned hood moulds.

East elevation: three storeys with crenellated parapet; six bays of east range flanked by north east block on the right and low kitchen wing on the left, glazing bar sashes and casements with returned hood moulds; partly colonaded single storey lean-to in front of east range and north east block, extending approximately 10 yards east of the latter.

Interior: south range: porch and entrance hall: porch has lierne vault and niches in the side walls and leads to an entrance hall with flat panelled ceiling.

Cloister: on north side of range; rib vaulting springs from colonettes, blind panelling between each window bay, windows of three cinquefoil headed lights beneath a four-centred arch.

North range: Great Hall has decor of 1822, elaborate lierne vault with pendants, tall canopied niches, tall chimney piece framing late C16 panelling, three tall two-light transomed windows to south, the plasterwork is by Francis Bernasconi. Great staircase was re-set from lower end of hall, c.1660, oak, elaborately carved openwork balustrades and newel finials. The dining room (formerly the library). Probably the solar or great chamber originally; wide barrel ceiling; Elizabethan or Jacobean panelling rearranged and coloured green and gold, large fireplace with cambered head probably c.1820. The study: c.1740 with plastered panelling.

Blithfield Hall had been the home of the Bagot family since the late C14.

Country Life: Vol. CXVI. p.p. 1488, 1576, 1664.

Listing NGR: SK0449323957

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Blithfield Hall at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q9659166

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Old House Handbook 2 Books Bundle Collection (Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair,Old House Eco Handbook: A Practical Guide to Retrofitting for Energy-Efficiency & Sustainability)
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Cambridgeshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Pioneers of Modern Design: From William Morris to Walter Gropius (Penguin Art & Architecture)
• 
  Herefordshire (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)